From DE 10 2012 011 515 A1 there is known a locking unit for a vehicle seat, comprising a pivoting latch for locking to a mating element designed as a bolt. The latch has a hook mouth to receive the bolt and a pawl which ensures a locked state of the locking unit in the event of a crash in that the latch is braced against a contact site on the pawl. Such locks have good locking strength when the direction of force is in the longitudinal direction, that is, perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the latch.